Travelrific® Travel Journal
Picture postcards in prose.™ Check out the blogroll on the front page for official merchandise and other resources!Archive for hungary
A Heroic City in Hungary
By Linda Tancs
Suleiman I, commonly known as Suleiman the Magnificent, was the longest-reigning sultan of the Ottoman Empire from 1520 until his death in 1566. He died at the Siege of Szigetvár in the Kingdom of Hungary, where an attack on the fortress ultimately blocked the sultan’s line of advance toward Vienna. You can experience a re-creation of the key battle at Zrinyi Castle, which has undergone several fortification works along the centuries. Now a national monument, it’s a key tourist attraction in the city, which was awarded the title “Most Heroic City” by Parliament.
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Billed as the Great North American Eclipse, a total solar eclipse will cross North America on April 8, 2024, passing over Mexico, the United States and Canada. The path of the eclipse begins in Mexico, entering the United States in Texas, and traveling through Oklahoma, Arkansas, Missouri, Illinois, Kentucky, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York, Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine. The eclipse will enter Canada in Southern Ontario, and continue through Quebec, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island and Cape Breton. This will be the last time any solar eclipse will be visible within the United States until 2045.
Be prepared! So long as supplies last, you can purchase eclipse glasses and other accessories, like a phone app and photo filter, from American Paper Optics, a NASA-approved manufacturer. The link in the preceding sentence is an affiliate link, which means that if you click on the link and purchase merchandise from the page, then I may receive a small commission.
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Jewish Budapest
By Linda Tancs
The heart of Jewish Budapest is the Great Synagogue on Dohány Street. Dominating the historic Jewish quarter on the Pest side of the city, it’s the largest synagogue in Europe and the second-largest in the world. Built in the 1800s, it has a Moorish motif unique for its time, highlighted by eight-pointed stars and a geometric façade. The interior is no less ornate with its balconies, rose windows and colossal organ behind the ark. Adjacent to the synagogue is the Jewish Museum, which houses a Holocaust room and historical exhibitions. Often hailed as one of the top 10 sights in Budapest, you’ll benefit from a guided tour of the facility and the district.
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Pinballs in Budapest
By Linda Tancs
Pinball wizards, and fans, should flock to the appropriately named Flipper Museum in Budapest, Hungary, Europe’s largest ongoing interactive museum dedicated to pinball machines. Many of its 130 machines invite unlimited play by visitors for the price of the museum’s entrance fee. The facility features Humpty Dumpty, the first pinball ever made with flippers. Apart from play, a pinball history presentation and guided tours in English at prearranged times are also an option.
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To limit the spread of COVID-19, attractions may be closed or have partial closures. Please keep those affected by the virus in your thoughts and be sure to follow the safety practices advocated by the Centers for Disease Control. Stay safe, and be well.
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The House of Houdini
By Linda Tancs
Hungarian-born Harry Houdini is arguably the greatest magician and escape artist of all time. Born as Erik Weisz in Budapest, the House of Houdini there boasts one of the largest collections of the magician’s artifacts. The display includes handcuffs, straitjackets, movie posters and a replica of the cell he escaped from in his final show. The museum, which includes a theater for magic acts, is located at the foot of Buda Castle.
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Europe’s Cave Capital
By Linda Tancs
Budapest, Hungary, is famous for its natural underground caves, formed by thermal waters over millions of years. The Pál-völgyi cave, the longest in the Buda Hills, is famous for its unique dripstones. The Szemlő-hegyi cave, on the other hand, has no stalactites but instead is filled with several beautiful crystal formations. Its exceptionally clean respiratory environment has been used in the treatment of breathing disorders. There are about another 198 caves to explore in this cave capital of Europe, many a short bus ride from downtown.
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Around the Danube Bend
By Linda Tancs
The Danube Bend is a curve of the Danube in Hungary (north of Budapest), the second largest stretch of the river. One of the gems in that bend is Szentendre (Saint Andrew), prized for its narrow alleys, colorful houses, arts and crafts and panoramic views. Serbians fleeing from the Turkish occupation settled there in the 17th century in large numbers, giving the city a Mediterranean character still evident today. Teeming with tourists in summer, now is a quiet time to enjoy the charms of this picturesque city, a great place to admire Hungarian art and authentic embroidered goods and taste some of the best lángos (fried flatbread often topped with garlic, cheese and sour cream) in the country. The town is easily accessible via HÉV suburban train (Batthyány tér station in Budapest).
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Tasteful Art in Hungary
By Linda Tancs
In Ajka, Hungary, art never looked so tasteful. That’s where Hungarian artist and pastry chef Judit Czinkné Poór summons her inner Rembrandt and creates intricately designed and bedazzling cookies, often highlighted with doily designs and richly hued flowers embodying traditional folk art. Her business, Mézesmanna, arose from a love of pastry arts that takes her on worldwide expeditions teaching the tricks of her trade to motivated bakers. These treats are too good to eat, and they shouldn’t be. Although edible, Hungarian tradition is to dole them out as keepsakes for special occasions, giving a whole new spin to the notion of a sweet reminder.
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A Memento in Budapest
By Linda Tancs
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Princess on the Promenade
By Linda Tancs
Created by László Marton in 1989, Budapest’s Little Princess is a bronze statue along the Danube promenade between the Chain Bridge and Elisabeth Bridge near Vigadó tér. Reputedly the most photographed, it is but one of many gems in the city, including the statues at Castle Hill, the Holocaust monuments, the Liberty Monument atop Gellért Hill and the Time Wheel monument (the world’s largest hourglass) celebrating Hungary’s induction into the European Union.
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The Grassalkovich Era
By Linda Tancs
The palace of Gödöllő is a baroque masterpiece just 20 miles northeast of Budapest, Hungary. Commissioned by Count Antal Grassalkovich I in the early 1700s, its ornate Grand Hall, tapestried rooms, red marble bath, conservatory and theatre represent the life and times of the area’s nobility. The palace remained in the possession of the Grassalkovich family until the death of the last male heir in the 1800s. Later purchased for the Crown, it was the favorite palace of Elisabeth, Queen of Hungary. The palace and its grounds are easily accessible by car, bus, train or suburban rail (HÉV).
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